Transition

"Fuck... how fucking long was I asleep?!"

In the mirror, Zhou Ze saw thick stubble covering his chin and cheeks, as though he hadn't shaved in weeks. It wasn't long enough to braid yet, but it was enough to make him look like a wild man who had just emerged from the remote wilderness.

His once clean-cut face was now hidden beneath that unruly hair, leaving him barely able to recognize himself.

"Same as before. No more than twenty hours... hmm, you were still affected a little. That's not something I can prevent..." Old Yang's voice drew closer from outside the door.

Frowning, Zhou Ze rubbed his stubble, turned on the faucet, and worked water and shaving cream into his beard. Without turning around, he asked:

"Affected how?"

"SCP-239, that little girl named Alice. I'm sure you've guessed she isn't as harmless as she looks?" Old Yang stopped at the bathroom doorway.

"So what? What the fuck does that have to do with my beard growing like crazy..."

Fortunately, the beard that seemed to have grown overnight was no different from ordinary facial hair, and Zhou Ze shaved it off easily.

"The gears of fate have begun to turn, and the web of cause and effect is being woven. The meaning of your actions will reveal itself at some point in the future..."

Old Yang approached Zhou Ze and gently patted his shoulder.

Noticing something, Zhou Ze turned his head and glanced at him.

Old Yang usually came and went without a trace. This was the first time the two of them had actually made physical contact.

So Old Yang really existed...

As long as I'm not schizophrenic...

"I can help conceal a little of it for you, but only a little..." Old Yang's voice gradually receded.

In the bathroom, Zhou Ze scooped up a handful of cold water and splashed his face. Seeing his normal self in the mirror again left him feeling refreshed.

As for Old Yang's riddles...

Zhou Ze had his own filtering system.

"You mean my beard won't keep growing like crazy? What exactly can Alice do?"

He walked out of the bathroom and looked at Old Yang, who was sitting in a chair.

Old Yang smiled without answering.

Fine...

Knowing he wouldn't get an answer out of the bastard, Zhou Ze didn't dwell on it. He turned and walked toward the door.

A conspicuous sheet of paper covered in red print was posted on the door. Zhou Ze gave it a cursory glance without reading closely, then reached out and pulled the door open.

A security officer stood outside, someone he didn't recognize.

He was a tall, middle-aged man with short, dark brown hair neatly combed back and sharp gray eyes that regarded Zhou Ze coldly.

"Are you going out?" the man asked in a flat tone.

He wasn't exactly friendly, but he was still better than the people Zhou Ze had dealt with before and their nasty attitudes.

"No, just looking around." Zhou Ze gave him a perfunctory smile, then shut the door with a snap.

His gaze returned to the notice posted on the door.

There was no doubt these instructions were meant for Zhou Ze.

It plainly and concisely explained his new status as "Class-D Personnel under special observation."

While retaining his Class-D Personnel status, Zhou Ze had gained a few additional privileges: he could freely dine in the Level 1 staff cafeteria and had two hours of recreation room access each day.

Of course, these freedoms came with conditions-whenever he left his room, he had to be accompanied by at least one security officer.

The notice also listed a series of stern warnings and prohibitions, stressing that any violation would result in the immediate revocation of his privileges and could even lead to more severe punishment.

Zhou Ze was already used to such things, though, and didn't take them to heart at all.

Looks like the Containment Facility considers that little girl Alice pretty important...

Otherwise, even a member of Class-D Personnel like me wouldn't have gotten such a huge improvement in treatment just through association...

Or was all this arranged by that woman, Wang Lei?

Still thinking, Zhou Ze sat back down on the bed.

Beside him, Old Yang was once again smacking his lips as he ate something Zhou Ze couldn't identify. Having gone a long time without food, Zhou Ze's stomach growled in protest. Hunger washed over him, making him frown.

But he had no intention of leaving the room before he sorted out his thoughts.

Forcing himself to ignore the emptiness in his stomach, Zhou Ze lay back against the pillow and stared at the white ceiling, mentally retracing everything he had experienced lately.

First, this body's original owner had somehow ended up joining the Containment Facility as Class-D Personnel while in custody for manslaughter. Only afterward had Zhou Ze crossed over into this world and taken his place. The original owner also seemed to have a younger sister-though the truth of that information still needed to be verified.

But clearly, this body's original owner had been no ordinary person.

Several times during this period, Zhou Ze had felt instinctive reactions from this body, almost like muscle memory. That kind of agility and precise judgment wasn't something an ordinary young man in his early twenties would possess.

Then there was Instructor Lu Fei.

During their interactions, he had occasionally treated Zhou Ze like a younger family member, suggesting some close relationship with this body's original owner.

Yet Lu Fei hadn't seemed surprised that Zhou Ze didn't recognize him. Exactly what connection existed between them was another question.

Next was Dai Yong'an.

Although Zhou Ze still wasn't sure whether the man he'd seen that day had really been him, Dr. Dai was very likely directly in charge of the experiments involving Alice. That meant Zhou Ze would be dealing with him frequently in the future.

Taking into account the power struggle Wang Lei had mentioned that day, Dr. Dai might well be one of her primary targets.

Finally, there was Director Wang Lei.

Having been deceived by her left Zhou Ze with very mixed feelings about the woman. He didn't want to make a simplistic judgment, so he could only regard her as a dangerous person with supernatural abilities.

The trouble was that, as far as she was concerned, he shouldn't remember what had happened in her office. In other words, Zhou Ze would have to pretend he didn't know her true nature.

But can you really fake trust? Especially when that woman has an absurd ability like mind reading...

All Zhou Ze could do was pray he wouldn't have to deal with the Site director again anytime soon.

"Is that all?"

After a long silence, Old Yang suddenly spoke. "Don't you think you're missing something?"

"Huh?" Zhou Ze glanced sideways at him.

"You should know you aren't the only one seeking that blood-pumping thrill, the experience of teetering between life and death, the shock of something beyond all reason. Those Higher-Dimensional Observers seek it too..."

Old Yang's voice suddenly became drawn-out and ethereal. To Zhou Ze, it sounded like a demonic chant pouring into his ears, and he couldn't make out a single word.

"Those extreme emotions are like divine nectar. They chase after them, tear into them, go mad for them..."

"These great beings never tire of it, and by it they determine our lives, deaths, and fates..."

"They seek someone to pour their attention into, to project themselves onto, hoping to immerse themselves and attain supreme pleasure. Then they bestow great power, driving the wheels of fate ever onward..."

"But you... Zhou Ze, you seem to have gained nothing lately. You haven't grown, nor have you become stronger... that will disappoint them..."

After sitting there stunned for a while, Zhou Ze only clearly caught that last sentence.

He frowned. "What weird shit are you talking about now?"